by Dr. Neinstein
The Case for the Menopause Makeover
Aging is normal, suffering is optional.
Did you know humans, great white sharks, and giraffes are the only species that go through menopause?
With declining hormones, frustration sets in because diet and exercise no longer give the same results to the body and at the same time things are stretching and dropping at an accelerated pace.
Its not all doom and gloom!
In this blog I will share why so many patients 50 and up are choosing body makeovers to thrive. Here are 3 cases I performed just this week – at the time I am writing this blog which is Saturday, May 20 2023.
- 58 year old mom of 4 from Los Angeles – tummy tuck: “doc I did pretty good for a long time but menopause really got me and I can’t wear all my nice clothes”
- 60 year old mom of 3 from Seattle – tummy tuck: “doc I had one done 20 years ago and I need a tune up because I don’t look like how I feel”
- 59 year old mom from the Upper East Side, New York – tummy tuck: “doc I just really hate all this extra skin, I mean its disgusting”
Common characteristics of women 55 and up who come see me from around the world
- Family-Oriented: they have and continue to spend the majority of their lives caring and nurturing for others.
- Vibrant: they all feel that their body is aging and changing faster than the mind and feelings; basically they feel young but look old and understand diet and exercise can’t change that.
- Invest in Themselves: these women eat well, exercise, have wonderful collections of couture clothing and are committed to doing things to help them look and feel great.
Le’ts untangle why so many women 55 and up are seeking makeovers.
Some Key Points on Menopause
- Older generations did not talk about it
- Medical community did not think hormone therapy and nutrition could improve women’s quality of life (obviously this has changed)
- Average age of menopause is 51 (no menses for a year)
What is less known but more common is peri-menopause. Peri-menopause refers to the decline of hormones not the absolute stopping like in actual menopause. This can start in the 30s or more commonly in the 40s. We have all heard of the hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, hair loss, mood changes that accompany dropping hormone levels but in peri menopause the signs can be softer and harder to recognize or diagnose. As woman become healthier they may actually have the majority of their adult life in the peri-menopause and menopause phase so the impetus for action is high.
As estrogen drops and testosterone increases women will see fat move from thighs and hips to the abdomen and this will be coupled by the skin becoming looser also from the estrogen decrease.
It’s not all doom and gloom, these are just facts. In fact, I have never met a group of happier and healthier people in any field of medicine than my women seeking makeovers in their 50s and 60s. They are so smart and sophisticated and they know what they want and want what they know. They are willing to put in the aftercare to heal properly and nutrition and exercise to maintain and enhance results.
Our Approach to the Menopause Makeover
Tummy Tuck
By far the most common frustration is a whole bunch of loose tummy skin. Everyday sophisticated women grab their tummy skin either in person or on a virtual consult with just a defeated look. They seem defeated because they have tried everything and now are ready for a definitive fix. Most of the time their friends or local dermatologist/plastic surgeon refer them to me. Why? I literally spend every waking moment thinking of how to make the tummy tuck operation not just safer and better but the experience enjoyable. I know how to get the scar where you want it, how to get the scar to fade, and how to make a beautiful belly button that you can show off. When this is all said and done our patients can wear crop tops, sports bras, and revealing clothes day in and day out at any age with brilliant confidence.
Breast Surgery
We talk about torso optimization which means breasts up and tummy down. This combo seems to work pretty well helping people look long, lean, and elegant and fighting the effects of menopause and gravity. We are often lifting the breasts and restyling them. Restyling may mean downsizing implants or removing tissue or both. Our aim is usual an elegant lifted breast to fit nicely with couture clothing. Now some of our patients in California, South Florida, and Nevada like a little bigger implants and that’s ok. We almost always use an internal bra which is a sophisticated scaffold to support the work we are doing inside the breast.
The Neinstein Experience
We take an enlightened hospitality approach to surgery. To us, the intimate doctor patient relationship is everything we want you to feel loved and cared for. Each and every patient is the most important patient in the world. We are over the top on our aftercare and our safety protocols. This allows us to provide not just amazing surgical outcomes but experiences to remember. From private nursing to daily visits by your surgeon you will feel truly cared for.
How we maintain and enhance our results:
- Exercise: we ask women to focus on resistance training and muscle building, we want them to focus on being strong not thin. Strong muscles, strong heart, strong mind, strong bones, and a strong life. Things like walking on an incline or walking with a weighted vest are simple ways to increase resistance training without feeling like you are straying too much from aerobic exercise.
- Nutrition: a vibrant and strong diet full of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocados, olive/avocado oils, fatty fish etc) will lower inflammation, support hormone production and improve your overall health.
Have the conversation of hormone replacement therapy with your appropriate provider. Knowledge has dramatically improved and many different options are now available.
Why not you?
Why not now?
Email me: drneinstein@neinsteinplasticsurgery.com tell me your story, your fears, your frustrations and your goals. Let our dream makers make your dreams come true.
-Dr. Neinstein
Thin thin thin strong strong – muscle heart mind